Deliverance
by mipmips
Summary: Jesse and his friends have to deliver a little boy named Noah back to Gods while running from enemies and facing challenges at the same time. Jesse is the Deliverer, Olivia is the Caretaker, Lukas is the Teacher, Axel is the Scout, and Petra is the Defender.


"Jesse! Jesse, wake up! You have to see this!"  
Jesse groaned, rolling around in his bed. "Nooooo!"  
"Jesse, please! It's important!"  
Radar's voice was higher than normal. It sounded squeaky. Jesse opened his eyes and looked at him. The younger boy was standing in the doorway of Jesse's bedroom. His hair was dripping with water and he was out of breath. Realizing this was important, Jesse rolled to get up but miscalculated and rolled onto the floor. He groaned again, untangled himself from his blanket and stood up, brushing himself off.  
"Ignore that, please."  
"Yesboss!" the boy slurred his words together when he was nervous.  
Jesse walked forward. "So… what did you want to show me?"  
Radar waved him forward and disappeared from the doorway. Jesse rubbed his eyes and chased him through the hall. They ran down the stairs and into the main room. Through its tall windows, Jesse could see it raining heavily. Thunder boomed softly, downpour rattled the arching, gold-plated windows. Jesse came to a sudden halt. "Olivia!"  
The dark-skinned girl looked at him with surprise. "Oh, Jesse!"  
She came running over. Her hair draped over her shoulders heavily, rung with water. Her clothes were soaked, too, and she was shivering. "The rain was so b-bad that me and Axel had to come back. But that's not imp-portant! Look at this!"  
Olivia grabbed Jesse's hand and pointed in the direction of the door. Standing in front of the doorway was a boy, about four or five, with warm caramel skin, curly golden brown hair, and dark, stormy gray-blue eyes. He was wrapped in a towel, staring at the floor in front of him, which was soaking wet. The boy was trembling with cold.  
"Axel went to go get some warm clothes and food," Olivia explained.  
Jesse was a little panicked. "Has he told you why he's here yet?"  
The girl shook her head, frowning. "He was roaming the streets out in Beacontown. He had a note with him. Said he was looking for the Order Hall."  
"Can I see it? Oh, Radar, go see if he needs anything. Please."  
"Okay! Sir!"  
Olivia withdrew a little, damp, folded piece of paper from her shirt pocket. On it was scribbled one word in dark writing: PLEASE. "He wouldn't let me or Axel see it," the girl continued. "He said that he had to see 'Jesse of the Order.'"  
Jesse felt faint. He stared at the note for a long while, then handed it back to Olivia. She read it and looked back at Jesse, then back at the boy. "Oh my God. What are we going to do, Jesse? This kid needs us!"  
"I… don't know. I... "  
Just then, Radar came back, an unreadable expression on his face. "I couldn't get anything out of him. He said he just wants to talk to you."  
Jesse looked at Olivia, then at Radar. He turned and walked towards the kid, the two of them following. However, once they got close, the little boy looked at them. "No," he said, then looked at Jesse. "Just you."  
Jesse glanced back at his friends and walked closer to the kid. He crouched and got eye level with him. Now that he was closer, he saw that his eyes had flecks of cold brown near the pupil. The boy just stared at him, blinking and sniffling occasionally. Then he said, in a hushed voice, "Mommy says you'll take care of me."  
Jesse stared at him for a moment, a bit taken aback. "Why can't your mommy take care of you?" he asked softly.  
"She's lost."  
What the heck did that mean? "Is she going to come back for you?"  
"No."  
Oh. This poor kid. Jesse smiled at him comfortingly. "You got a name?"  
"Noah," said the boy softly. His eyes were back on the floor now.  
"Alright, Noah. My friends and I'll take care of you. You just wait here, okay?"  
"Okay."  
Jesse stood back up and ruffled the kid's curly, wet hair. Inside, he was panicking. But he'd learned to keep a calm and reassuring expression over the years. He'd found that panicking only made it worse for everyone. And none of his friends, as much as he loved them, were going to be the calm, cool-natured one, so it might as well be him. Jesse walked back over to Olivia and Radar.  
"His name is Noah and he's been abandoned by his mom," he said simply.  
"A-are you sure, Jesse?" Radar asked.  
"I asked him if she was coming back for him and he said 'no.' If even he knows for sure, then…" Jesse sighed. "I don't know what to do!"  
"Well, you can't just send him back out there, right? And if his mom's not coming back… There are no orphanages in Beacontown, are there?" Olivia asked.  
"No."  
Jesse rubbed the back of his neck, glancing over his shoulder at Noah. "I mean… I guess I could keep him here for now. In case his mom comes back."  
"Why don't you search for her?" Radar offered.  
"I think that's out of the picture. Because: One, she abandoned him in the rain. Two, when I asked him why she couldn't take care of him, he said she was 'lost.' Whatever the heck that means."  
"Maybe they just got separated somehow?" Olivia offered desperately.  
Jesse shook his head. "That doesn't explain the note."  
Olivia tapped her foot on the ground, a faraway look in her eyes. "So… you're just gonna keep him here, then?"  
"I guess?" Jesse sounded uneasy. "Will you and Axel stay and help me?"  
"We'll try, but we have duties in Boomtown and Redstonia, Jesse. I mean, Axel's the king and I'm Ellegaard's assistant!"  
"I know, but I'll freak out if you're not here!"  
"I'm ba-ack!" called a deep voice. Axel.  
Jesse turned. In one of his friend's hands was a white t-shirt and long socks. In the other was a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows. Olivia took the clothes and extended her hand to Noah. The little boy looked over at Jesse, who nodded towards Olivia. Noah took her hand and let her guide him into another room. Once he was through the door, Jesse walked over to one of the couches and put his face in his hands, fingers spreading like a spider web over his forehead. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God."  
"I know," Axel said, walking over and patting his friend on the shoulder. "What're you gonna do about him, Jesse?"  
Jesse groaned in response, his face not leaving his hands. He heard Radar explaining the situation in a hushed voice. Jesse lunged forward and wrapped his hands around Axel's wrist. "Please, please stay here!"  
Axel looked at Jesse for a moment, blinking. "Sure, man. No problem. Boomtown's crazy even with me there. But I can only stay for a little bit."  
"Oh, thank you!" Jesse cried.  
He stood up as Olivia and Noah came down the hall. Noah looked drier now, his hair not dripping with water. He didn't leave a trail of wetness, either. Jesse picked up the hot chocolate that was sitting on a coffee table in front of the couch and walked over to them, Radar and Axel following shortly after. Jesse gave the hot chocolate to the kid, who began drinking immediately. He blew the marshmallows around in his cup. Olivia was staring at him like he was the most wonderful thing in the world. Jesse turned to his intern. "We… have spare bedrooms, right?"  
"Um… yes. I think. I'll go check," and with that, Radar was off.  
Had his friends really never stayed the night before? Jesse was sure they had. Then again, the only time they'd really been around a ton was during the construction of the Order Hall, and they had stayed in one of the local inns during that time. Jesse looked back at Noah, who now had an empty cup and was wiping his mouth off. Jesse wondered when the boy had eaten last. He looked hungry. But cooking was a big event for the Order of the Stone. Truth be told, they sucked at it. Like, bad. The only ones who could really cook were Axel and Lukas. Unless it was toast or cereal, they stuck to eating out. Jesse looked at both his friends, realizing what they had to do. They walked into the kitchen. Olivia had picked up Noah and was carrying him around until she sat him at the little mini-table. He wasn't quite tall enough to reach it, but it would do. "So… what're we gonna make, then?" Jesse asked.  
"I don't know," Olivia replied. "Maybe go ask him what he wants to eat?"  
Jesse nodded and walked over to the table that Noah was sitting at. He sat down next to him. "Hey bud. What do you feel like eating?"  
Noah thought for a moment. "Peanut butter jelly sandwich."  
A sigh of relief from Axel, Olivia, and Jesse. Noah frowned at them, looking a little bewildered.  
Axel began searching the pantry and fridge, getting more frantic by the instant. "Oh no!"  
"What?" Jesse asked.  
"We don't have any jam!"  
"OH NO!" Olivia and Jesse cried simultaneously.  
They all looked over their shoulders at Noah, who just stared at the table and the walls, taking in the kitchen. Jesse walked over to him. "Uh… Noah? We don't have any jam. I'm really sorry."  
The little boy looked disappointed. Olivia made a distressed "aw" noise. Then she said, "Hey, I can go get some!"  
Jesse turned around and shook his head. "No. You don't know the town and it's raining too heavily. I can go."  
"Will anywhere even be open?" Axel asked.  
"I… don't know. Guess we'll find out, huh?"  
"Jesse -" Olivia began. Jesse raised his hand and stopped her. Despite being one of the smallest in the group, he could be quite imposing when he wanted to be.  
"I'm going," he said. "That's final."  
He turned back to Noah. "Hey, Axel and Olivia will take care of you while I'm gone. I'll be back soon."  
Noah nodded, curly hair bobbing.  
Jesse walked out of the kitchen. Radar was in the main room. "Hey, Jesse! I prepped three of the spare bedrooms for Axel, Olivia, and Noah."  
"Thanks, Radar," Jesse said. "Uh… do you know where any rain gear is?"  
"I don't think we have an - you're not thinking of going out in that storm, are you?"  
"Noah needs jam!"  
"But you could get hypothermia or something!"  
"I'll be fine," Jesse said. He was at the front door. "Hey, if those three need anything, I'm counting on you to get it for them, okay?"  
He heard Radar gulp. "Yes - okay."  
Jesse swung the door open. Sharp, cold droplets stabbed his face and arms. It looked dark outside, but the streetlights had it up a little bit. Everything looked smudgy and slick at the same time. The air was cold and damp. Jesse took a deep breath and stepped out into the fierce cold. He heard a voice cry out, "Wait!"  
Radar handed Jesse a thick blanket. "At least take something."  
Jesse took the blanket and wrapped it around himself. He instantly felt warmer. He continued out into the storm. Outside, the ponds on either side of the bridge to the hall seemed to be alive. Constantly moving, rippling, as rain pounded on them from above. The rain pounded Jesse, too, stinging his face. He tugged the blanket, pulling it over his head like a hood. Jesse walked as fast as he could, but he was careful not to trip. The winds tugged at his blanket slash coat jealously. But then he felt something wrap around his ankle. It was cold and slimy and moist. Jesse looked down and discovered a white, wispy looking hand wrapped around his ankle. The tips of its fingers blew away like smoke in a tornado. Jesse felt cold...er. His body shook as he tried to pull away. **Failure.**  
Was… was that the hand? Talking?  
 **You are a failure.**  
The voice was slow and scratchy like it was in no rush to get its words out. You have not saved the world.  
It was a whisper at first, but now it was getting stronger.  
 **You are no hero.**  
Jesse attempted to get away from the hand. He felt hollow. The thing was consuming him from the inside out. _Whatever you are, let me go!_ He mentally screamed. The voice chuckled. **Failure.**  
 _Stop it!_ The skin around Jesse's ankles had started turning a sickly white, almost green of sorts.  
 **You are no hero.** Involuntarily, Jesse thought of Reuben. And Magnus. And all those people who had died with the Witherstorms. _Stop it!_ Jesse sobbed inside his head. _Please!_  
Well, as long as you asked nicely.  
The cold feelings remained, but when Jesse looked at his foot he saw no hand. There was a ring of that sickly pale green, though. In the place where the ghost hand touched him. Jesse stared at the pond for a little while. The raindrops still pounded on it like a drum. _Jam_. He blinked at his own thought, a little surprised. _Yeah,_ he thought. _I just got attacked by an evil talking hand, but let's get_ _jam. Sure._  
And then he felt guilty. He wasn't hungry, but poor little Noah sure was. He needed to forget about his own problems, if just for a little bit. He made his way into Beacontown, his foot feeling numb. The town was colorful, but the rain gave it an eerie, abandoned look. Thank God some the shops on "All You Need Ally" were open. Jesse stumbled into one of them, a little bell chiming as he opened the door. He pulled the blanket off of him and rung it out on the concrete outside. He looked down and discovered the bottom half of his pants were soaked. A pudgy little woman came stumbling into the shop from the back. She was dry, so Jesse assumed she was the owner who also lived in the shop, as did many Beacontown shop owners. Her face was both surprised and horrified. She cried, "Oh, honey! You look sick!"  
Jesse frowned. "Do I? - Whatever. S'not important. I need jam."  
The woman blinked. "Oh. Um. Yes - okay. The jam is right over there, deary."  
She gave Jesse a concerned look as she walked behind the counter and began rummaging through… something. The boy walked over to the place she'd been pointing to, a little table with many jars sitting on it. _Aw, crap,_ Jesse thought, picking up one of the jars. It said "Blueberry Jam." Noah had never said what kind of jam! Jesse looked through the jars again. He trusted his gut and went with the blueberry jam. The shopkeeper was still giving him a concerned look as he walked back over, jam jar in one hand and damp blanket in the other. He placed the jar on the table.  
"That'll be three gold nuggets, dear."  
"Sure," Jesse said. He felt for his pockets, but then he realized he was wearing pajama pants. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh…"  
"Oh," said the woman. Then she smiled, "I suppose we can spare something for the leader of the Order of the Stone!"  
"What? No, no -"  
"Please take it, dear."  
"I'm paying you back tomorrow. As soon as possible."  
"There's really no nee -"  
"I'm paying you! Tomorrow! And that's final," Jesse said the last word with a tiny, determined nod. He picked up the jar of jam and wrapped the blanket around himself. He looked at the shopkeeper gratefully. Her lips were pursed like she was fighting the urge to say something.  
"Tomorrow," he said again. "As soon as possible."  
The woman kept her lips together as Jesse stepped out the door into the blazing cold. The rain had lightened, if only a little bit. Being smart, Jesse wrapped the blanket around the jam, in case he fell. Which he did. But thankfully there were no evil hands attacking him this time. He knocked on the door of the Order Hall, which swung open almost immediately. It was Radar. "Jesse!"  
"Jam delivery?" Jesse asked tiredly, handing Radar the jar which was smothered in the blanket.  
"You look sick."  
"Yeah."  
"... Yeah? What kind of -"  
"Just - make the sandwich!"  
"Oh. Yes. Okay," Radar ran into the kitchen, holding the swaddled jar like a football.  
Jesse's clothes were dripping with water. He looked down at himself and groaned. Both pajamas and sneakers (excellent fashion choice) were soaked. Jesse took off the shoes and socks, then walked to his bedroom and changed into dry clothes. He also dried his hair out over the sink in the bathroom across from his room and dried his face and arms with a towel. Back in the main room, the whole carpeted floor seemed to have become a couple of shades darker. Thankfully, it sat on quartz tiles, so nothing would be ruined. Jesse went into the kitchen, where Noah was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at the table. Olivia and Axel looked tired, but their expressions lightened once they saw him.  
"Go to sleep," he told them.  
Axel rubbed his eyes and Olivia yawned. "What… what time is it?"  
"About one a.m., I think. I'll… um..."  
"Put Noah to bed, and then go to bed," Olivia replied firmly.  
Jesse shrugged one shoulder. "Sounds like a plan. Goodnight."  
"'Night," Axel replied, patting the smaller boy on the shoulder.  
"Yeah. 'Night," Olivia walked out of the kitchen, not bothering to close the door behind her.  
Noah had nearly finished his sandwich. The boy yawned as he took another bite. Jesse could see the PB & J in his mouth, which was a little gross, but honestly, he didn't really care. "Tired?"  
The curly-headed kid nodded, his eyes closed already. Jesse picked him, leaving the last bite of sandwich on the table. He walked down the hall and into one of the bedrooms. A sign said "vacant." That was probably Radar's doing. Next to the empty room, there were two that read "occupied." As Jesse stepped into the bedroom, he heard Noah mumble something but took no notice. He put the kid on the bed and put the blanket over him. Jesse stared at him for a moment, then patted him on the back and made his way into his own bedroom. He crawled into bed and pulled the blankets over himself. But he couldn't seem to get to sleep. After what seemed like forever, he heard a voice call, "Jesse?"  
Jesse sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Y-yeah?"  
Noah was standing in his doorway. "I got scared. When I get scared my mommy lets me sleep with her."  
"Oh," Jesse mumbled tiredly, and then he waved him over. "What scared you?"  
Noah walked over, now at Jesse's side of the bed. "The thunder."  
Jesse lifted the kid into his bed. "Well, don't be scared. It's okay."  
"Thank you," Noah mumbled, falling asleep on Jesse's side. Man, this kid worked Jesse like clay. He laid the kid down, tucking the blanket over him again. Jesse couldn't help himself, Noah reminded him of Reuben. His chest clenched with pain as he thought about his hero. If he'd just grabbed him before he fell…  
Jesse shook his head at himself. He couldn't think like that. He laid his own head down and wrapped one arm around Noah. It was easier to fall asleep with him there, even with the pouring rain and the thunder.


End file.
